Before Ganon's Castle
by tir-synni
Link stared
into the distance, unable to tear his gaze away from the forbidding
castle. Over and over in his mind, he
recalled Princess Zelda's startled face when Ganondorf had whisked her
away. He had been there, mere feet away
from her. He had been right there...and
he had been helpless.
The blonde
clenched his fists in frustration, but he didn't look away from the
castle. He was the legendary Hero of
Time, and he had failed miserably.
"Zelda,"
Link whispered. "I'm sorry."
A gentle hand
rested on Link's shoulder. He didn't
turn around. He knew who it was.
"There
was nothing you could do," Sheik murmured.
The older youth's breath warmed Link's pointy ear, and the elf felt a
familiar trickle go up his spine.
"You had no warning. You
couldn't defend against it."
Finally, Link
looked away from the damned castle to meet Sheik's concerned, crimson
eyes. As it had before, it reassured
Link now. Sheik had stood by Link's side
since he had awaken in this time, but he had only offered this intimate comfort
since after the
"I let my
guard down," Link hissed, even those soothing memories failing to calm
him. "I let my guard down, lowered
my defenses, and did not even sense Ganondorf's magic. I was naive to suspect that we would be safe
in the
"Don't
say it, Link," Sheik interrupted him.
He put two fingers under Link's chin and forced his eyes up to meet his
own. "Don't say you failed. How can you say that after all the good
you've done?"
Link closed
his eyes. "But you forget. Ganondorf never would have come into power if
it wasn't for me. Because of me,
Ganondorf stole the Triforce of Power, which enabled him to conquer Hyrule and
curse the
Pulling away
from Sheik's hand, Link glared at the castle.
The feelings that burned inside were alien to him. Before he had pulled the Master Sword, he had
never felt them before. Confusion,
hatred, lust, love...They were all so new.
Yes, Link had loved Saria, but never this intensely, never with this
passion. For a moment, Link allowed
himself to bury his face in his hands.
It was too much!
~~~~
"Link..."
Sheik whispered achingly, wanting only to take the young man into his arms and
shield him. From a distance, the Sheikah
had watched Link fight his way through the
Giving into
the urge, Sheik pulled the anguished youth into his arms. Link stiffened momentarily before giving in,
clutching Sheik back. He rested his head
against his shoulder, and the Sheikah stroked the young warrior's soft, blonde
hair.
"Come
on," Sheik murmured, leading Link back to his house. "You have yet to rest. You must rest before you can even think of
saving the princess."
Link offered
no words of protest. He simply leaned
against him and closed his weary eyes.
~~~~
With a sigh,
Sheik closed the door behind him.
Finally, Link had collapsed on the bed and surrendered to sleep. Sheik had sat by the bed and played his harp
for the exhausted Hero. Only when he was
positive the young man was in a deep sleep did he dare leave him.
"How is
he?" Impa questioned softly, resting a hand on her son's shoulder.
Sheik ran a
hand through his silky hair.
"Exhausted, but he'll be all right.
He needs sleep desperately now."
Impa
nodded. "And how is he taking the
princess's kidnapping?"
"Not
well. He blames himself."
Another
nod. "It is to be expected. The title of the Hero of Time is a rough one
to uphold. He probably blames himself
for many things."
Sheik growled
and whirled to face his mother.
"How can I help him? There
must be something I can do!"
Impa took a
step forward and embraced Sheik gently.
"Simply be there for him. He
is strong. He will get past them. But it will be good for him to knew he's not
alone in this strange time."
After a brief
hug, Sheik nodded determinedly.
~~~~~
Zelda's
frightened face haunted Link even in the security of slumber. With a gasp, he awoke. The cool night breeze seeping through the
open window chilled his sweaty flesh, and he shivered.
"Link? Are you well?"
Startled, Link
snapped his head back to see Sheik sitting on a chair beside the bed. Link's vivid blue eyes widened.
"I-I am
fine, thank you," he managed, giving his head a quick shake. The dream had shook him up more than he had
originally thought.
Sheik frowned
worriedly at him and sat beside him on the bed.
Instantly, Link was in his arms, and they were cuddling. Link almost purred when he felt Sheik's
strong hands massaging sore muscles.
"Do you
want me to stay with you tonight?" Sheik offered quietly.
Link clutched
the older boy tightly. In his mind's
eye, he could see the Master Sword firmly embedded in its pedestal. The premonition sent chills up Link's spine.
"Yes,"
Link breathed, brushing his lips against Sheik's. "Always."
And for that
night, Zelda, Ganondorf, and the Master Sword were all forgotten.
~~~~
Link awoke
again at dawn, held securely in the haven of Sheik's arms. Gently, reluctantly, he detangled himself and
gazed down at his lover. After stealing
a hurried kiss, he slipped his clothes back on.
Then he kneeled beside the bed.
"I'll be
back to say good-bye," Link breathed, the Master Sword flashing through
his mind. Anguish tore through him as he
thought of Fate's cruel joke, but he pushed it away. Now was for Sheik. "Until then, keep this to remember me
by. Farewell, my heart."
Tenderly, he kissed Sheik and laid Saria's Ocarina in his outstretched palm. Then the Hero went to meet his destiny.